Nick Clegg has denied claims from David Cameron that he endorsed controversial internet and email surveillance plans branded a ‘snoopers’ charter’ by backbench critics and civil liberty groups.

Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg had written to the National Security Council raising concerns about the internet surveillance plans (Picture: Reuters)

The prime minister, speaking during a trade visit to Japan, said his coalition government partner was ’round the table’ at meetings of the National Security Council when the proposals were discussed.

Mr Cameron urged critics of the plans, which would see surveillance options open to the police for traditional methods of communication extended to the internet, to be ‘patient’.

‘No one is talking about changing the rules and snooping into the content of somebody’s telephone calls or emails,’ he said.

The prime minister, who also called on people to look at the wider issue concerning equally-divisive plans to hold some court hearings behind closed doors, said the government was ‘making sure we’re keeping up with technology’.

‘We have always been able to see who people are contacting through phone calls,’ he said. ‘It used to be the case that the communications data of 90 per cent of calls could be accessed but that’s not the case with Skype and other new technologies.

David Cameron with Japanese counterpart Yoshihiko Noda (Picture: Getty)

‘I think it’s important that people see the detail and hear the arguments.’